Guest Editorial: Preserving Paradise Valley – Thank You PV Team to Stop Pacaso

By Councilmember Julie Pace

Thank you PV Team to Stop Pacaso

It was a large group effort involving various stakeholders to stop Pacaso, which is a company looking to develop and promote timeshares in Paradise Valley.

Thank you to Town council candidate Christine Labelle for being the first person to inform the community about Pacaso timeshares and for taking the lead and creating a grassroots effort to stop them. Christine coordinated with the California Stop Pacaso group and learned and implemented strategies to stop Pacaso.

Christine’s experience in real estate and connections within the community and with the luxury home realtors led to a successful result to keep our community unique and residential.

A big shout out to thank the luxury home realtors for caring about our special town and brand for them and their clients. Thank you for saying no to Pacaso.

Kathy and Jack Clifford are Town residents who also stepped up. Countless hours were involved with residents stepping up to assist and sending a strong message.

The town manager and town council also stepped up and we were all very aggressive and proactive to prevent these timeshares.

This shows when residents team up and work together with various stakeholders, success is achieved. It is a team approach and that is the best way to win and we should give credit to those who actually led and achieved the success. Be gracious and let’s be leaders and thank those that saved us from commercialization.
Drone Light Show on Mummy Mountain

Drone Light Show on Mummy Mountain

On Tuesday night, there was approximately 100 drones in a light show displayed on Mummy Mountain. It was a gigantic display that appeared to be 100 feet tall or larger. You could see it throughout the community.

There were women’s legs in a dance scenario, a bottle of liquor pouring into a glass, ferris wheel, pinwheel, cactus and mountains, an arch, the words St Kitt and congrats, and many more.

Our Town prohibits lighting or laser shows on the mountains. It appears that a group obtained an FAA license to complete a lighted drone show with Vegas-style approach and performed it over Mummy Mountain and what appear to be over Paradise Valley Mountain Preserve Trust land, as well as private property.

Residents complained to the police. I have asked our Town manager if we can investigate further to determine if we need to add additional provisions or clarifications in it so that we do not have lighted drone shows on the mountains and trust land or in our neighborhoods.

Stay tuned while we try to address yet another attempt at turning our community into a commercial enterprise. We are not Phoenix or Scottsdale and we do not allow hot air balloons, ferris wheels, base jumping, or Laser or light shows on the mountains, and we strive to treat the mountains with respect and quiet. We have to stay vigilant.